SkiGoggles
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IRL: Going skiing with Smith I/O Recon goggles
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. Does a fortnight of snowboarding in the French Alps with an army of family and friends sound like fun? Imagine my nerd squeal when a fellow editor offered to lend me a pair of Smith I/O Recon goggles (featuring heads-up display tech from the company Recon), along with a two action cams, to gadgetize my trip. As I later discovered, GoPro footage isn't nearly as spectacular when you're not permanently backflipping, or hurtling down vertical off-piste. But hey, I managed to salvage a three-minute, personalized fail compilation from the drudgery.
Oakley unveils Airwave ski goggles equipped with Recon's MOD Live heads-up display, iOS app
Remember late last year when Recon Instruments introduced its MOD Live Android-enabled heads-up display for the likes of ski goggles?Joining the ranks of other optics makers, Oakley's partnered with the company to seamlessly integrate the unit into its own goggles, dubbed Airwave. It's not just another shell for the system, either, as Oakley will be providing a companion app that'll work with iOS -- which seems to be first official instance as such since Recon itself said it would be coming earlier this year. The MOD Live itself is otherwise the same right-eye positioned system (providing a perceived 14-inch display at five feet away) we've seen for almost a year now, so don't expect to get the clearest picture if you're left eye dominant or use contact lenses for distance. Furthermore, there's still GPS for tracking friends / navigation, and Bluetooth to work with a water-resistant wrist remote that allows you to control your smartphone and the display itself. Of course, this also means Recon's Android SDK will also be workable, as will your Contour camera. If you're interested in Oakley's spin on the MOD Live, the Airwave will hit Apple stores on October 31st for $600 in your choice of black with a black Iridium lens, or a white with black graphics and a "fire" colored variant of the lens -- yes, they're interchangeable just like most of Oakley's other specs. If you're curious for further details in the meantime, check out the simulation video and press release after the break. Now, how about those full-on smart glasses to take on Google Glass as the company's CEO mentioned in April? %Gallery-169431%
Recon details next-gen GPS goggle technology: Android, Bluetooth, endless fantasies
And you thought those Recon-Zeal Transcend goggles from last fall were hot stuff. Truth be told, they still are, but Recon Instruments' plans for the future make the present seem downright mundane. Here at CES, the company has just revealed its next-generation technology, which should be ingrained in its next line of specs. The big news here is that the revised platform will be based on Android, enabling developers to craft apps and in turn, owners to customize their GPS-enabled goggles in ways not previously possible. Moreover, the technology will be available separately from the company's own eyewear, with a "snap fit" version ready made to work with Uvex, Alpina and Briko products. Wearers will then be able to navigate through the interactive LCD in real-time with the use of a wireless remote, and Recon hopes to eventually craft the first pair of goggles with a real-time navigational system. You'll also get Bluetooth capabilities, allowing users to connect with their smartphones and see their music playlists, caller ID and text messages. Head on past the break for the full rundown, and do your best to not get those hopes too high. As if it's not too late for that already. %Gallery-112630%
Recon-Zeal Transcend goggles now shipping, GPS and head-mounted display included
Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? If you'll recall, we heard that Recon Instruments was fixing to up-end the winter sports goggle market in February of this year, with an optimistic-at-the-time ship date of October 2010. Lo and behold, the outfit has managed to nail its estimate, and the planet's first GPS-enabled goggles are now available to highfalutin' skiers and snowboarders. At least initially, the company will be rolling out a limited set, with two models to choose from: the $499 Transcend SPPX is fitted with an SPPX polarized and photochromic lens, while the $399 Transcend SPX features an SPX polarized lens. Aside from the fact that these probably cost less than those ho hum Oakleys in the ski shop, they're equipped with a Zeal Optics' frame design with a micro LCD display, which appears to hang approximately six feet in front of the user. That head-mounted display provides real-time feedback to the wearer, including speed, latitude / longitude, altitude, vertical distance traveled, total distance traveled, a chrono / stopwatch mode, a run-counter, temperature and time. Yeah, wow. You can bet we'll be trying to snag a set for review when we do our best impression of "hitting the slopes" post-CES. %Gallery-104018%
Zeal Optics bringing GPS, sensor-laden Transcend ski goggles to market
Remember those mind-melting Recon Instruments goggles that we caught wind of late last year? Admit it -- you never, ever expected those things to actually make it to market. Despite your pessimism, it seems as if those very specs are indeed making a beeline to the consumer realm, with Zeal Optics jumping in, working a bit of magic and relabeling 'em Transcend. Deemed the planet's first GPS and sensor-laden ski goggles, these things are purportedly capable of logging speed, altitude, temperature and time details, and the side-mounted toggle switches will enable you to view said data in real time (or not, if you're paying attention to the 50 foot drop ahead of you). Peek the read link for further details on the $350+ wearables (demoed after the break), and get ready to hit the slopes with a whole new mindset this October. [Thanks, Christopher]
Recon Instruments putting heads-up display, extra layer of 'cool' within ski goggles
It's a match made in heaven, really. A GPS-linked heads-up display system, and ski goggles. Together, at long last, forever. Recon Instruments is reportedly developing said technology right now, and if all goes well, a HUD-equipped set of alpine goggles will indeed be on sale to the general populace next fall for between $350 to $450. The device is expected to tap into your cellphone, and if said phone has a GPS chip within, you'll be able to see where you're at, where your fellow snow bunnies are and where you're headed. It'll also provide all sorts of other vital information, such as hang time off of the rail jump, altitude gain / loss, a stopwatch and temperature. There's no word on whether it'll alert you when too much powder starts building on that front-side edge, but here's hoping these things are durable enough to survive the face-plant that'll inevitably ensue when that scenario plays itself out.
